Air relief valve for use in a radiator in either hot water or steam heating



Apnl 1, 1941. J. ELGER 2.236.772

AIR RELIEF VALVE FOR USE IN A RADIATOR IN EITHER HOT WATER 0R STEAM HEATING Filed lay 9, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 1, 1941 I ELGER 2.236.772

AIR RELIEF VALVE FOR uss IN A RADI R IN EITHER HOT WATER OR STEAM HEAT Filed May 9, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f A A? Even/0V"? %W Patented Apr. 1, 1941 AIR RELIEF VALVE FOR USE IN A RADIATOR IN EITHER HOT WATER. OR STEAM HEAT- ING Joseph Elger, Chicago, 111., assignor of one-halito Rose Elger, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 9, 1939, Serial No. 272,558

3 Claims.

This invention relates. to a new air relief valve for radiators in hot water and steam heating. Air valves for radiators are used separately in hot water and steam heating.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a new valve in hot water heating and use the same valve in steam heating.

In hot water heating the radiators are generally vented with a common hand operated air vent and every time the water is overheated and the water overflows the expansion tank or out of a closed valve system, the radiators become air bound and must be revented by hand, which causes a loss in heat radiation and requires lots of labor and is a source of trouble to the user.

In steam heating the valves are usually constructed in a way to be applied to a small A; opening on the radiator and the small opening does not allow proper room for the steam to enter, and the condensation to work back out, and

the shell of the valves becomes water logged and work wet and cause damage to floors, walls, and curtains.

My further object is to provide a positive reliable automatic air relief valve for theradiator in hot water heating, which will insure its use in place of the hand operated air vents, and use the same valve in steam heating directly in the radiator to get ample room for the operating parts and use the valve without a shell to avoid water logging by the shell and to insure a dry operating valve.

My further object is to arrange a valve within the radiator in a manner to cause the steam and air coming from the boiler and piping to travel together and in the same direction up in the first section of the radiator in through the top communication of the sections and then down in all the sections back of the first section to the air valve to avoid banking of the air in any part of the radiator.

Banking of the air in the radiator is caused by the way the steam and air pass in through the communication of the radiator sections and the cause of air banking in the radiator and the defects in air valves are herein illustrated.

If the steam and air is allowed to travel in through the open communication in the bottom and top of the radiator at the same time, and the air valve is placed down low on the radiator like in practice, the air leaving the air valve will draw the steam in through the bottom open communication to the air valve and heat and close the valve before the steam and air traveling in through the top communication and down in the sections reaches the air valve which leaves a large portion of the air banked in the sections.

leaving the boiler in the piping pushes more air into the radiator again, and the steam that travels through the bottom of the radiator has a tendency to pick up the condensation that is dropping in the sections with the steam thatis traveling through the top and down in the sections and blowing it into the jacket of the air valve through the /a stub end that is attached to the A opening on the radiator, causing it to become water logged, work wet and spatter dirty water on floors, walls and curtains, because the /8 stub end on the valve that is attached to the /8 opening on the-radiator is too small and does not allow the steam that enters the valve and the condensation from the steam that gathersin the valve shell, and the water blows into the valve to work back out" against the entering steam properly. I

If the'steam and air that enters the radiator from the boiler and piping is diverted in thro gh the top ofthe radiator by means of a pipe connection'in a two-pipe system like used in practice, and the air valve is placed down low like used in practice, the air leaving the valve will draw the steam down; in throughthe section in a 45 degree angle and the steam will get to and heat the-air valve and-close it, and leave a large portion of the air banked in theradiator and the sameprocess of heating and circulating the air t kesrlace a ha e n described a d'th banked air remains in the radiator and the pipe connec tions areconsideredan eyesore.

Ifa valve is concealed in the return section at the top of the radlator in a steam system and means are used to block the adjoining opening on the section back of the valve to create a vent section for the valve and the steamand-air coming from the boiler" and piping is allowed to enter the radiator in open communication through the bottom and top of the radiator at the same time the air leaving the radiatorthrough the valve in at the top of the vent section will draw the steam in through'the' bo-ttom'cominuniea'tion of the sections and up me vent sectionand heat and close'the'valvebefore the steam traveling up in the radiator "in through the top communication and then down in the sections back of the vent section drives all the air up the vent sections, and a large percentage of air is banked in the radiator, and the same process of heating the air and circulating it in the sections takes place in the radiator as described, and the banked air is not released from the radiator. I found by testing that it is impossible to release all the air that is pushed into the radiator from the boiler and piping by the steam and avoid bankingof the air in the radiator, without arranging the ra-' diator with means that compel the steam and air to travel together and in the same direction up in the first section of the radiator in through the open communication in the top of the-radiator and then down in all the sections back of the first section to the air valve as indicated by the arrows in the drawings, in the radiator in the Figure 1, in the one pipe system and the radiator in the Figure 2 in the two-pipe system, as will be further herein illustrated by referring to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 indicates a radiator in connection with a boiler and piping in a one-pipe steam heating system.

Figure 2 indicates a radiator in connection with a boiler and piping in a two-pipe steam heating system.

Figure 3 indicates a radiator in connection with a boiler and piping in a hot water heating system.

Figure 4 is a sectional out side view of the valve structure showing one way to arrange the operating parts of the valve.

Figure 5 is a back view of the valve structure 3 shown in Figures 1 and 4;

Figure 6 is a side elevation view of the valve structure 8;

Figure '7 is a sectional out side view of the valve structure 1 shown in Figure 2;

Figure 8 is a sectional out side view of the valve structure 4 shown in Figure 3; I

Figure 9 is a back view of the valve structure 4; and

Figure 10 is a sectional out side view of the circulating means shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The valve shown in Figure 4 is arranged with two valve floats Ill and H. A light fluid is used in the floats. A flat light head is used at the top and bottom of the floats that expands and 0 contracts with the heating and cooling of the fluid. and operates the valves on the floats to close and open the valve openings of the floats in the outlet air line in the valve structure, the bottom head on the floats is arranged, with a pocket that receives a square end of a post. The post has a flat plate attached a little below the top, the square end of the post sets up in the pocket in the bottom head of the floats, and when in place the bottom head of the floats rests on the plate, an adjusting screw I2 is used in a. separate way in connection with the post. It is arranged in connection with the post to adjust the lift of the valve at the top of the floats, the post and adjusting screw l2 are arranged separate on the floats to avoid weight on the floats and to admit of installing the floats in the valve structure. The light flat head on the floats are used to overcome the strain of overexpansion and to secure more secure valve closure, and to avoid breaking the head of the floats by high temperatures; the floats are all arranged the same. The plate 13 shown at the back of the valve in Figures 4, 5 and 6 is used to admit installing the valve float II in the chamber as shown. The

walls of the chamber of the float II that extend into the radiator are made light to avoid weight and to admit of heat penetration from the steam and hot water; the air valve opening of the float Ill communicates with the air valve opening with the float II, and the valve opening of the float ll communicates with the air line I4, the outlet of the air line l4 has a valve 15 arranged with a valve opening. A small ball that seats in the valve opening, a light tension spring back of the ball and an adjusting screw It with a vent opening [1. The adjusting screw is used to adjust the tension of the spring. The valve opening of the valve l5 communicates with the valve openings of the float l0 and II. The air entering the valve from the radiator is pressed through the valve opening of the float l0 into the chamber of the float ll out through the valve opening of the float ll into the air line 14 and as it enters the valve opening of the valve 15 it presses the ball and spring back, unseats the valve opening and permits the air to leave through the vent opening I! in the adjusting screw IS in the valve I5, when the air stops leaving, the spring in the valve pushes the ball back in the valve opening and holds the valve 15 closed until venting of air again takes place. The air is pressed out through the valves in the same way in either hot water or steam heating. The arrangement of the valves in the valve structure shown in Figure 4 allows a vacuum to take place in the radiator and system, after the air is pressed out through the valve I5, and the valve I5 is closed, the valve I5 is used in combination with the valves on the floats I0 and I to prevent the suction of the vacuum from drawing air back in through the valve openings of the floats l0 and II, when the fluid in the floats cools and contraction takes place on the float heads and opens the outlet openings of the valve on the floats, a valve that operates to hold a valve closed against entering air, prevents a radiator from draining properly because the water is held by vacuum. A leaking steam supply valve on a radiator when closed will allow condensation from the steam entering to partly fill the radiator with water. The leaking steam will make a terrible noise in the radiator, and when the valve is opened the radiator will not drain without letting the steam down in the boiler, which lowers the temperature in the rooms, and is a source of trouble to the user. I have arranged the valve with a plug l8. It is used in the valve structure above the valve 15 to allow air back in through the valve to break the vacuum in the radiator and allow the radiator to drain, to avoid letting the steam down at the boiler, and avoid the noise caused by leaking valves. The standard threads IS on the valve of Figure 4 correspond with the standard threads in the openings in the radiators, and the hexagon shoulder 20 on the valve is used to apply a wrench to screw the valve into the opening of the radiators.

The Figure 7 shows the valve structure in a common standard T 2|. The T is shown in section with the bottom opening of the radiator 2 in the two pipe system. The valve float l l is not shown in the valve structur and the operating parts of the valve 15 are arranged in a separate threaded valve structure with the valve opening ball and spring and adjusting screw, and the valve structure is screwed into the outlet of the air line M as shown. A nipple 22 is used between the T 2| and the opening in the radiator. The bushing shown in the T is not needed. The

,- A pocket is formed above the plate in the T as shown. The condensation from the steam flows from the radiator into the pocket of the T in through the reduced opening on the plate, down the return pipe, back to the boiler. The condensation leaving the radiator will keep the opening in the plate flushed with water and prevent any air leaving down the return pipe and compel the valve to receive all the air that is pushed into the radiator from the boiler and piping by the steam. The device 25 shown in section in the feed side of the radiator in Figures 1 and 2 is used as shown in detail in the Figure 10. It operates to prevent the steam'from traveling in through the bottom of the radiator to the air valve and diverts all the steam and air up the first section in through the top and then down in all the sections back of the first section to the air valve, as the arrows indicate. The small opening 25 controlled by a check valve door 28 prevents the steam from traveling through the bottom and allows some of the condensation down in the feed pipe, in case the small opening in the plate 24 in the bottom of the T 2| does not take it all, and the air pipe 21 is used to prevent banking of the air in the sections back of the first section. The venting of the radiator and system takes place as follows. the air from the boiler and piping into the radiator, up the first section, in through the top, and then down in all the sections back of the first section to the air valve, and then presses the air out through the valve opening of the valve 1 into the air line I4 and then out of the valve I5. After the air is pressed out, the valve I5 operates to close and prevents the return of air, the air pipe 21 on the device 25 causes the steam and air to travel evenly down in the sections back of the first section and prevents banking of the air in the sections back of the first section. The Figure 8 is a cut sectional view of the valve structure I and Figure 9 is a back view looking through the front of the valve structure I and 8. In this figure the valve structure is arranged without the plug I8 and the valve I5, and the outlet air line I4 is arranged with a plug 29. The plug has a flat key end which can be operated by hand. The key end of the plug is attached t0 the valve with a chain. The chain is arranged with a swivel to allow the plug to be taken out or screwed into the opening. It must be taken out and allowed to hang outside of the opening when the valve is used, and tagged as a plug to be used in case of a leaking valve. The common valves used in practice often get to leaking and people plug the vent openings with wooden plugs and matches, and when the radiator valves leak and the radiator cannot be shut ofi a lot of damage is caused before the steam can be let down in the boiler to replace the leaking vent valve, and someone finds a plug or a match to plug the air vent, and the novel Way the plug 29 is arranged avoids using wooden plugs and matches and avoids a lot of damage caused by leaking valves and adds security to the vent valves in hot water and steam heating. The valve structure 8 is shown in section with the radiator in the Figure 1 in the one-pipe system,

The steam pushes and the venting of the radiator takes place as follows: The steam pushes the air from the boiler in through the piping, into the bottom opening of the radiator up the first section in through the top and then down in all the sections in through the valve opening of the float III and out through the air line I4 and then the steam heats the fluid in the float and the float heads expand and close the valve, and the condensation from the steam flows out through the check door in the device 25 and down the feed pipe back to the boiler. The arrows indicate the way the steam and air travel in through the radiator.

The radiator in the Figure 3 in the hot water system shows the valve 4 in section in. the top openingof the radiator, and the venting of the radiator by the valve 4 when used in water heating takes place as follows: In filling .a hot water system with water, the water rises in the boiler and pushes the air up out of the boiler in through the piping into the bottom of the radiator, and up in the radiator sections to and through the valve opening of the float It), in through the chamber of the float II and out through the valve opening of the float II into and down in the air line I4 and then into the valve opening of the valve I5, and as the air is pressed into the valve opening of the valve I5 it presses the ball and spring back, unseats the valve opening and escapes through the outlet I! in the valve I5, afterthe compression force of the air is relieved and no more air escapes through the valve openings, the rising water will lift the float of the valve float I0 and close the valve opening of the valve, and then the spring in the valve I5 will push the ball in its seat and close the valve I5 and hold the valve closed against the return of air in the same way as in steam heating, and when heat operation takes place in either hot water or steam heating the heat from the hot water or steam will heat the fluid in the valve float I0, expand the heads of the float and close the outlet opening of the valve on the float, and then the heat from the steam or hot water will penetrate through the light chamber of the float I I, heat the atmosphere in the chamber and the fluid in the float II, expand the heads on the float and close the outlet opening of the valve on the float, and during the time heatoperation is taking place the valve outlet of the valve I5 is closed, and no water, steam, vapor or air can escape in through the double protected valve closure of the valve floats I0 and II until venting again takes place. The valve floats I0 and II operate in reserve, that is, if the valve float I0 becomes disordered then the valve float I I will do the venting. The protection that the two valve floats contribute against leaking will insure the valves use in large heating plants, and large fine homes where the people are skeptical and require lots of security, and it is safe to use the valve in hot water heating in place of the hand operated air vents that cause a loss in heat radiation, a waste in labor, and are a source of trouble to the user. valve structure with one valve float is more for small heating plants and the expanding means used in connection with the valve float makes the valve safe for use in hot Water heating; the valve structure is not confined in a jacket that can become water logged and cause the valve to work wet. The condensation falls right oil the valve float into the radiator. The plug I8 avoids letting steam down in the boiler to drain the ra- The arrangement of the diator and saves heat radiation as has been herein described, and the novel arrangement of the plug 29 will stop people driving wooden plugs in the vent openings of the valves, save heat radiation and avoid a lot of trouble, caused by leaking valves. The arrangement of the valve with the device 25 avoids the banking of the air in a onepipe system, and the arrangement with the valve device 25 and T 2| avoids banking of the air in the two-pipe system the device 25 prevents the steam from traveling through the bottom of the radiator and compels all the air to travel up the first section and then in through the top and down in the sections to the air valve, and the arrangement of the T 2| compels the valve to receive all the air that enters the radiator fr-omthe boiler and piping and vent it, and the T 2| takes the'place of the steam traps used in vacuum systems, and it should be understood that the common check valve used in practice may be used on the return branches in connection with a pump, not shown, without interfering with the engineering devices and steam traps claimed and used in vacuum systems. It should be further understood that the arrangement of the valve structure shown in the Figure 4, Figure 7, and Figure 8 may be used as arranged in either radiator. The device T and valve play a part together in the radiator to vent the radiator, and the device T and valve are attachments arranged in a manner to be installed in radiators in old installed systems or in new installations and the user should not be compelled to buy the radiator and system to get the benefits of the use of the valve and arrangement.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications; and changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement and operation may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. An air relief valve structure for use in a radiator in either hot water or steam heating,

said valve including two thermostatic valve floats the air valve outlets in the air line of the valve structure, said valve structure having a check valve in the outlet mouth in the air line of the valve structure that operates to open and close the outlet air line in the valve structure and a hand operated plug arranged in the valve structure between said check valve and said thermostatic valve floats, said plug operating when opened to allow air into the air line of the valve structure behind said check valve.

the float to close and open the inlet air valve,

opening in the air line of the valve structure, the expansion and contraction on the bottom head of the float operating to overcome the Strain of over-expansion by high temperature contact on the fluid in the float, the bottom head of the float arranged in aseparate way with a post that has a squareend and a plate near its top, the square end of the post extending into a pocket in the bottom head of the float, the bottom head of the float resting on the plate of the post, an adjusting screw arranged separately with the post, the adjusting screw used to adjust the lift of the valve on the top head of the float, a separate valve screwed into the outlet air opening in the valve structure, said valve arranged with a valve seat, a small ball that seats in the valve seat, a light tension spring back of the ball that presses against the 'ball to seat the ball in the valve seat, an adjusting screw with a vent opening arranged against the spring in the outlet of the valve, the adjusting screw operating to adjust the tension of the spring in the valve, a plugged outlet in the valve structure above the said valve arranged in a manner to allow air into the air line of the valve structure.

3. An air relief valve for use in a radiator in either hot water or steam heating systems; said valve arranged with one valve float in a valve structure without a jacket, the valve float arranged with a fluid in the float, the float arranged with two light flat heads, that expand, and contract with the heating and cooling by the fluid in the float, the expansion and contraction of the float heads operating the valve on the top head of the float to close and open the inlet air valve opening in the air line of the valve structure, the expansion and contraction of the bottom head of the float operating to overcome the strain of overexpansion by high temperature contact on the fluid in the float, a hand operated plug in the outlet mouth of the air line in the valve structure, said plug arranged with a flat key head attached to a chain in a manner to admit of its being screwed in or out of the mouth of the air line by hand.

JOSEPH ELGER. 

